High School Musical 2 Out in August

photo credit: http://en.wikipedia.org

The sequel to the Emmy Award-winning Disney Channel Original Movie, High School Musical, is already set for release. High School Musical 2 is scheduled to debut on August 17, 2007 on Disney Channel USA! The showing dates in the Philippines and other countries, however, have yet to be announced.

High School Musical 2 will still have original cast members from the first movie and will also feature a few new members. Among the original members are Zac Efron, Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu and Monique Coleman.

Rehearsals for the movie began in February 2007 in St. George and Salt Lake City, Utah. The cast wrapped up filming last April 13.

C.L.

Hilary Duff: Trouble in Toronto

photo credit: www.canada.com

Last Tuesday, April 24, pop star and actress Hilary Duff was in Canada promoting her third album, Dignity. Hilary was doing an interview for Canadian TV show MuchMusic when a man in the crowd outside the studio started shouting at her. According to Canada.com, an eyewitness said that "the unidentified man vowed to kill Duff, prompting several police officers to tackle him."

photo credit: www.canada.com

According to the police, however, the incident was completely unrelated to the MuchMusic event and that there was no specific threat directed at Hilary. Sgt. Mladen Josifovic of the Toronto Police stated that the man was restrained, but wasn't arrested.

Even so, I bet this gave Hilary a big scare. Guess it just comes with being a celebrity.

C.L.

Lily Allen with a "New Look"

photo credit: www.myspace.com/lilymusic

She's not changing her look -- she's going to share it!

Pop artist Lily Allen is not only making good music; she's making great clothes, as well! The 21-year-old singer from London who is known for wearing her dresses with trainers and plastic jewelry is collaborating with UK fashion house New Look.

Her collection of dresses, jewelry and footwear for New Look called Lily Loves will be out in May. Check out their website for updates!

C.L.

"The Most Shocking Result in American Idol History"

That's what Ryan Seacrest said on AI tonight that kept the audience on the edge of their seats.

It was charity night on American Idol, all right. The show even gave their contestants a gift:

NOBODY went home tonight.

Instead, the total votes from this week will be added to next week's. Two of the remaining six AI finalists will go home.

photo credit: www.americanidol.com

Way to make the contestants and the viewers even more tense during next week's eliminations.

At least they gave AI fans two hours of entertainment, with performances from Jack Black, Ben Stiller, Il Divo and Earth, Wind and Fire, among others.

C.L.

Mandy Moore on Elle

photo credit: www.elle.com

Mandy Moore graces the May 2007 cover of Elle magazine.

In the cover story, Mandy talks about how she left Warner Bros. to create the kind of music that she really wanted, among other things. (I actually got to listen to a couple of her new songs which are definitely from a whole new Mandy Moore -- but let's save that for another entry.)

Be sure to grab a copy to find out why this very talented singer and actress lacks confidence in herself, as well.

Go to www.elle.com for more photos from the shoot and watch out for the May 2007 issue of Elle magazine!

C.L.

Christina Aguilera in the Philippines

photo credit: www.sonybmgmusic.co.uk

I cannot believe that Christina Aguilera is coming to the Philippines! She has never been here before. This should be very exciting for Christina fans who have followed her from her Genie in a Bottle days to her current Old Hollywood-inspired hits.

Globe Telecom, in association with MTV Philippines, is bringing Christina to the country, along with an entourage of 88 people and 20 truckloads of stage fixtures, props, costumes, and effects to complete the Christina Aguilera Back to Basics Tour: Live in Taguig concert.

The concert is set to be held on July 6, 2007 at The Fort Open Field, Bonifacio Global City. I'm not sure if we can buy or reserve tickets already, but check in for updates because I might be able to get that info soon.

I'm soooo excited!

C.L.

Brad Pitt and George Clooney Together Again

photo credit: www.allposters.com

Mr. Jolie a.k.a. Brad Pitt is going to be working on a new movie with Ocean's 11, 12 and 13 co-star George Clooney. Any film featuring these two is surely a feast for the eyes.

The two will star in Joel and Ethan Coen's dark comedy film, "Burn After Reading." Filming begins in August, which means Pitt and Clooney fans will just have to wait.

C.L.

Sanjaya Moves On

After getting booted off American Idol 6, Sanjaya Malakar already has his eyes on a “full entertainment career.” The 17-year-old AI finalist stated that he wanted to try his hand at modeling, acting and even Broadway.

photo credit: http://bodogbeat.com

Sanjaya told Entertainment Weekly that getting into the Berklee School of Music is his “dream” and that he wanted to continue both his education and his career.

These days, however, Sanjaya has a lot of TV appearances coming up in The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Late Show with David Letterman, to name a few. In addition to that, he has been invited as People magazine’s guest at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. So that’s what’s keeping Manong George busy.

According to Sanjaya, he feels that the American Idol experience gave him more confidence. He stated, “I’m ready to go out there and do it some more.”

You’ll definitely get to see more of him, whether you like it or not, because he will also return for the AI finale in May and will go on tour with the top 10 finalists of American Idol 6.

C.L.

Bad News for Sanjaya Fans

photo credit: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com

Simon Cowell has always been a tough judge on American Idol, but he was right about how Sanjaya Malakar did not deserve to win the competition. America didn't seem to agree with Simon in the past few weeks, though -- until Country Night.

After Country Night on American Idol 6, 17-year-old finalist Sanjaya Malakar, who has been best known for his funky hairdos and exotic charm, finally gets the boot. No offense to Sanjaya fans, but it's about time. The final six definitely have what it takes to be the next American Idol -- great voices.

Watch out for more of Blake Lewis, Melinda Doolittle, Jordin Sparks, Chris Richardson, Phil Stacey and LaKisha Jones on American Idol!

C.L.

Wentworth Miller for Gap

photo credit: www.gapinc.com

Here's a little treat for Prison Break and Wentworth Miller fans. How come I didn't know about this ad campaign until early this afternoon?

Actor Wentworth Miller, along with other hot celebrities such as Hip-Hop/R&B artist Chris Brown and actor Durmot Mulroney, pose for an ad campaign for Gap entitled "Khakis with Attitude."

Wentworth's got attitude, all right. He's sizzling hot, too! Gap has just become more interesting.

C.L.

What's Up With Sanjaya and Shyamali Malakar?

I wonder what makes people go crazy over the Malakar siblings.

photo credit: http://tv.yahoo.com

photo credit: www.ninjadude.com

Is it Sanjaya's funky hairstyles, so-called charm, voice, or his sister Shyamali's scandalous photos all over the Internet?

Oh, boy. With all the hype and all his fans, there is a big possibility that Sanjaya will be the next American Idol.

Yikes.

C.L.

Paris Hilton, the Fashion Designer

Paris Hilton launched her new clothing line, Paris Hilton Sportswear last April 10 at the California Market Center in Los Angeles.

photo credit: http://celebritysmack.blogspot.com

Her Fall 2007 pieces look fun and very playful, with a lot of metallics and bright, neon colors. She joined the models by strutting her own stuff on the runway to the tune of her own music! E! News reports that the new clothing line will be out in July, and the price range wouldn't be very expensive. The clothes will all be under $100!

photo credit (all three photos): www.dailyceleb.com

Some of those are actually pretty cute. Nothing very special, though. Being Paris, though, I'm sure she's going to sell a lot of clothes.

C.L.

Follow Hilary Duff on Tour

photo credit: http://hilaryduffnewsandpictures.blogspot.com

Pepsi Smash and Yahoo! Music bring a new online reality series featuring Hilary Duff. Their cameras are going to follow the pop artist on her European tour.

In the first webisode, Hilary works on her dancing and talks about how she finds it difficult to dance and sing at the same time. (Perhaps that was why she was lip-synching on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno earlier this month? Hmm.) In webisode 2, Hilary goes to Milan and meets her Italian fans.

Webisodes 1 and 2 are already available on Yahoo! Music.

C.L.

American Idol Alumna: Antonella Barba

Antonella Barba all covered up on American Idol

Long after she got booted out of American Idol Season 6, Antonella Barba continues to be in the limelight.

Her name, along with her sexy photos, can be found all over the Internet. I got curious after finding her name on a lot of "top links" and "most searched" charts. After doing a little research, I still don't know what the former contestant is up to nowadays, but she stated in an interview that she is considering modeling and acting, and that she wants to "strike while the iron is hot." The iron is still hot, all right.

Racy photos of the 20-year-old from New Jersey came out when she was still in the show, but these were not grounds for her dismissal. Simon Cowell, an AI judge, stated that Barba's photos should "not affect her standing on the show, and if the public wants to keep her in, they'll keep her in." AI host Ryan Seacrest said, "You've got a girl who's trying to make it on a show where she needs a vote, and someone's trying to tear that away from her."

I believe that the photos actually made her more popular, and though she wasn't one of the best singers on the show, she was voted into the top 16 finalists of the sixth season of AI.

Antonella backstage with Jared Cotter

Backstage with Blake Lewis

Barba was quoted saying that the photos were "of my personal life that got exploited without my consent." She added, "the pictures that actually are of me are very personal. That is not how I intended to portray myself nor do I intend to portray myself in the future. That was personal, private and not for the public."

After Barba got voted off American Idol on March 8, 2007, it was reported that she received offers from adult entertainment shows and magazines, including Playboy and Girls Gone Wild. She claims that Playboy has not contacted her but she stated that she wouldn't pose for the magazine.

Well, we'll see if she sticks to her word!

Photo credit (all photos): www.americanidol.com

C.L.

Lindsay Lohan for Jill Stuart

Lindsay Lohan has gone to Japan to shoot ads for designer Jill Stuart. She is going to be the face of Stuart's Fall 2007 couture line.

photo credit: www.lohanworld.com

Earlier this year, Lindsay shot an ad campaign for Miu Miu. There was just a small problem there, though -- her pictures in the ads looked nothing like her, even with the red hair. See for yourself:

photo credit: www.myfashionlife.com

Perhaps this Fall, we will be able to recognize her.

C.L.

The Simple Life Goes to Camp

photo credit: http://en.wikipedia.org

Since the stars of the TV show The Simple Life, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, have become friends again, they have agreed to shoot the fifth season of The Simple Life together.

The tentative title for season five was Malibu: Camp Simple Life, but it was later changed to The Simple Life Goes to Camp. In the new season, Paris and Nicole will become counselors for different camps such as a Pageant Camp, a Wellness Camp and a Couples Camp.

The show will start airing on May 28, 2007 on E! (abroad); I still don't know when the new season is airing in the Philippines, though.

Looks like we're going to see more of Paris and Nicole!

C.L.

American Idol Loses Its Legs

It's official: the top seven finalists of American Idol Season 6 are Melinda Doolittle, Blake Lewis, Jordin Sparks, Sanjaya Malakar, Phil Stacey, Chris Richardson and Lakisha Jones!

Sorry, boys. It seems like you won't be seeing more of Haley's legs -- on American Idol, at least.

Haley Scarnato, best known for her beautiful legs and mediocre performances, was the one who got booted out of the competition after singing a Gloria Estefan song yesterday on Latin Night. Phil Stacey and Chris Richardson (very surprisingly) were in the bottom three with the 24-year-old singer from Texas.



The results were aired earlier today on AI, with special performances from Akon and Jennifer Lopez.

C.L.

Lily Cole Goes Geeky in St. Trinian's

photo credit: www.elle.co.jp

18-year-old English supermodel Lily Cole took a break from the runway to try her hand in film. She makes an appearance in the upcoming movie St. Trinian's as one of the schoolgirls who help their school escape bankruptcy. The movie stars Colin Firth, Rupert Everett and Emily Watson.

photo credit: www.fashionologie.com

Now we have a new model-turned-actress to watch out for!

Shake and BLAKE!

photo credit: http://tv.yahoo.com

Blake Lewis definitely rocked the house on American Idol tonight! The 25-year-old singer from Washington is AI Season 6's "beat boxer," but he has already proven that he can truly SING, as well.

This week's theme is Latin Night, with Jennifer Lopez as their guest. Blake Lewis sang "I Need to Know" by J. Lo's hubby Marc Anthony. He wowed all three judges. Simon thought it was the best performance of the night so far (since Sanjaya was still up next.) At the end of the show, I think "so far" should be kicked off that statement. Blake's was definitely the BEST PERFORMANCE of the night!

The only thing that I didn't like about Blake's last performance was the dancing, which is weird because I usually love his moves. For me, it just didn't work tonight, but I don't think it really matters since it's a singing competition, anyway.

Watch American Idol tomorrow for the results and catch Jennifer Lopez's performance.

American Idol Alumna: Alaina Alexander

We first met Alaina Alexander when she became one of the Top 24 finalists of American Idol Season 6. Too bad she wasn't able to get into the Top 12, but it seems that the 24-year-old singer from West Hollywood, CA is building on a brand-new image, reinventing her look after Idol.

Alaina on American Idol

photo credit: www.americanidol.com

Alaina After American Idol

photo credit: www.tmz.com

Looks like she just lost the tank in the second photo. Now that's getting a whole new look for less (or none!) Among her music influences are The Beatles and Mariah Carey. It's pretty obvious where she gets her new style from. But hey, she does look great as a brunette. We just hope she'll sound as good as she looks if she releases an album!

C.L.

Justin Timberlake News: Single, Happy and Keeping Himself Busy

Justin Timberlake is still single, but he seems very happy doing what he loves most.

The 26-year-old singer is midway through his FutureSex/LoveShow tour. He won't be having a break anytime soon, with the tour wrapping up in China in September. JUSTIN in CHINA?! Get your plane tickets now!

photo credits: www.thecinemasource.com and www.moanmovie.com

photo credit: http://i.imdb.com

Justin also stars in the movie Black Snake Moan with Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci, which is already showing abroad but hasn't been released in the Philippines yet. He is the voice of Artie in Shrek the Third, as well, which is due out later this year.

I don't know how people perceive him as an actor. I can't tell since I haven't seen any of his films yet. We'll find out very soon!

C.L.

Linkin Park Goes Glam?

photo credit: www.linkinpark.com

photo credit: www.lpassociation.com

...a more glam look, that is. They are looking fierce in their latest video, What I've Done. Vocalist Chester Bennington's new style seems to have gone from Geek Chic to Bad Boy! He's starting to look like Bono now.

Compare Chester's outfit in What I've Done (above) to those he wore in the videos for In the End, Numb and From the Inside:

photo credit: www.lpassociation.com

In that last photo, the black bonnet gave a hint of "bad boy," but then again he is still wearing a button-down shirt!

I miss that dark preppy look he had going. Actually, I didn't really pay much attention to the band until I saw their videos and Chester's unique style. Haha.

Going back to the band. Linkin Park's Minutes to Midnight album will be released worldwide on May 14, 2007 (except in the United States, where the album will be released on May 15.) Thank goodness we don't have to buy LP's album at Wal-Mart. LOL.

C.L.

Beyonce's New DVD: Available Exclusively at Wal-Mart

"Beyonce may be one of the hardest working women in show business," says the Chronicle Herald of the 25-year-old singer/actress who has recorded EIGHT VIDEOS in two weeks for her new DVD, the B'Day Anthology Video Album.

photo credit: www.walmart.com

The DVD that features songs (and of course, music videos) from her Grammy Award-winning album, B'Day, was released last April 3rd. The video album, according to Beyonce, was something she has always wanted to do so that her fans wouldn't have to go to YouTube to watch her videos. If so, why is the DVD exclusively sold at Wal-Mart?

According to Beyonce's official website, the video album is exclusively sold at Wal-Mart stores and online at www.walmart.com. I have heard about other big music artists who have also done the same, but I really don't know why they're making it so difficult for their fans in other parts of the world to access their DVDs. I mean, the minute I found out that the Pussycat Dolls released their Live from London DVD, I immediately got myself a copy at the mall and popped it into the DVD player as soon as I got home. If I purchased it online, it would've taken days or weeks until I got to watch it. Oh, and it's not just about quick and easy access -- how about kids who don't have credit cards, or those who have parents who don't allow their children to purchase anything online?

Oh, well. At least there are still some lucky ones who can have the trouble of purchasing it online for a low, low price of US$9.72 (about 460Php) -- plus shipping -- at Wal-Mart. After all, patience is a virtue.